Funerals

A funeral provides the opportunity for friends and family to
express their grief, to celebrate and give thanks for the life which has now
completed its journey in this world, and to commend the person in God’s
keeping. It is of huge importance for families, friends and loved ones to be
able to do this, and an important part of the grieving process.

It may be possible that a local village church can be used
for the funeral if there is some connection with the community and the family do not need to be regular church goers to ask
for this. It can be a less hurried way of commemorating a person’s life than
just the short services allocated at crematoriums (usually just 20 minutes) as there are no time restrictions. There is also the option of having a
memorial service after the committal service and this could be a few weeks
later giving friends and family time to make travel arrangements.

The service should always be personal and meaningful,
reflecting the person being commemorated, and as such a Church of England
funeral service can be structured to the family’s needs and wishes. It can be
simple, quiet and peaceful, with just a few family members present, or an
occasion of great solemnity with music, hymns and a great gathering.

Of course, if the family prefer, they can ask for just a
crematorium service and the funeral director will advise you which crematorium is most convenient. This can still be deeply
meaningful and is mostly the preferred option here in the Var.

It is never easy making the arrangements for the funeral of
someone you love. But the funeral and burial/ cremation are as important to you
as the person who has died, and can really help in the future as a way of
remembering. The words and actions in a Church of England service all speak of
a loving God to whom every human being, including your loved one, is precious
and conveys a hope for the future.

Planning this difficult occasion is important and the
link below may help with some of the numerous administrative tasks that
have to be undertaken.

Our Pastor, Rev Peter Massey is also available to assist you in anyway he can and can be contacted at